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LAST MONTH’S Canada-Caricom summit had a regional focus, but it came in the context of important and enduring ties between this country and Canada.
It is important, if not crucial, for this country to embrace and leverage those ties.
The global pandemic and the outbreak of wars have reminded us of the urgent need for self-sustainability and bold steps to boost economic diversification.
However, the sheer breadth of matters addressed by leaders at the Canadian summit underscores the useful role of bilateral co-operation in the furtherance of that development.
Among the matters addressed was the expansion of the Commonwealth Caribbean Countries Tariff (CCCT), which gives countries duty-free trade access to the Canadian market; the much-needed implementation of a new foreign-labour programme for agriculture and fish processing under the temporary worker programme; as well as a new commitment of Can$58 million in partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank to support renewable energy projects and Can$6 million in funding through the Caribbean Climate Smart Fund for resilient systems.
Given that Canada’s two-way merchandise trade with Caricom countries reached almost Can$2 billion in 2022, while bilateral trade in services reached almost Can$4 billion in 2021, these initiatives are key.
But the summit further dealt with matters vital to our safety and security, including matters relating to acquiring small craft for littoral-zone patrolling, police training, cybersecurity, legal reform, and advocacy on climate-change financing.
The subtext of the talks was the need to shore up the region’s status as a zone of peace, which is no small matter amid all manner of global turbulence.
While the summit was the first-ever of its kind to be held on Canadian soil, the truth is, ties between the region and Canada go a long way back and are multifaceted.
Recently, Air Canada decided to shelve proposed flights from Toronto to Trinidad amid industrial-relations issues. The timing of this was unfortunate, given the move to allow visa-free travel for certain categories of nationals who have ties to Canada.
Such ties and their potential were underlined earlier this year by Energy Minister Stuart Young as he met with key energy executives in Vancouver during the LNG2023 conference.
They were also emphasised in a very different way by the Trinidad premiere of the feature-length film Doubles With Slight Pepper at the recent TT Film Festival, a film directed by Ian Harnarine, a director born in Canada to Trinidadian parents. That film premiere was a reminder of the rich cultural resonances between our two countries, while serving as a visual emblem of the pathway towards a diversified economy in which the cultural sector, and not just oil and gas, plays a role.
Most immediately, the renewable energy funding made available is of vital interest to both Canada, which has been swept by wildfires this year, and the region.
That's because if the Caricom region is devastated by climate change, the ripple effects will be felt in Ottawa too.
The post Canada calling appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.